On the evening of July 8, 2024, at approximately 8:12 p.m., Blythe Police Department officers, with assistance from Riverside County Sheriff's deputies, responded to reports of gunfire in the area of East Avenue A in Blythe, California. Upon arrival, they discovered two men suffering from gunshot wounds in the parking lot of the Short Stop Car Wash on East Hobsonway. Despite immediate life-saving efforts, both individuals were pronounced dead at the scene.
The victims were identified as 45-year-old Audelio "Lelo" Solorio and his nephew, 27-year-old Deveon Keyshawn Smith, both residents of Blythe. A secondary crime scene related to the shooting was located nearby on East Avenue B. The tragic incident deeply affected their family, especially considering that Solorio had recently endured the loss of his 23-year-old son, Audelio Jesus, on Christmas Eve 2023. Solorio is survived by his children Alicia (20), Jennifer (19), Gabriel (18), and Genesis (9 months), while Smith leaves behind three children: Deveon Jr. (8), Aiyanna (5), and Damir (6 months).
In the course of the investigation, authorities arrested 18-year-old Blythe resident Jose Angel Manjarrez on suspicion of murder. He was initially booked into the Blythe Jail. However, Manjarrez was subsequently released without charges, pending further investigation. This development has caused significant distress among the victims' families, who are seeking justice for their loved ones. Claudia Ramirez, Smith's mother and Solorio's sister, expressed her frustration, stating, "It makes me very angry and upset about it because that's not right. I mean, he killed two people. I don't care, you know, there's nothing about good people bad people, it doesn't matter. They're human beings."
Eyewitness accounts have added complexity to the case. Jorden Peoples, Smith's partner, was present during the shooting and claimed to have confronted the suspect immediately afterward. She recounted, "When I got out of the car, the first thing I did was run up to him and I started hitting him and I told him he was not going to get away with this. I'm going to make sure he goes to jail. I'm going to make sure that my husband gets justice and my tio." Peoples also mentioned that the suspect allegedly admitted to the act, stating he "had to do it."
The Riverside County District Attorney's Office has referred the case back to the Sheriff's Central Homicide Unit for further investigation, indicating that additional inquiries are necessary to resolve outstanding questions. As the investigation continues, the community remains in mourning, and the families of Solorio and Smith are left seeking answers and justice for the untimely loss of their loved ones.
